Traditionally the French Riviera, and Nice in particular, was a winter resort. It served as a destination for the upper echelons to escape harsh northern winters amongst their own. Today Nice in the winter is a largely local affair – which means less hustle, bustle and fewer crowds to contend …

Last week we spent the morning in Grasse, a town I hadn’t visited for years. Of course it’s perfume-central with lots of parfumeries offering free tours and shops with tempting arrays of bottles, sprays, soaps and creams. Plus there’s the Musée International de la Parfumerie which takes visitors through centuries of …

A whale and two anchors feature on Sète’s official coat of arms, a tribute to local maritime history, and the fact that Mont St Clair makes the city looks like a humpback. Archaeologists have dated remains of human activity (discovered in 1973) to the late Bronze Ages II and III. …

“Provence appeals to so many because the region offers something for everyone. From sea to sky, from mountains to meadows, from history to contemporary, it is an endless canvas.”  Esteemed writer Carolyne Kauser-Abbott’s perspectives about Provence. Visit the stunning city of Aix-en-Provence with her here….. Carolyne is the author of …

A mixture of seawater, alkaline solution and fat Documented use as far back as 2800 BC in Ancient Babylon A carved “recipe” found on a stone slab from 2200 BC The Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all used it Cooked for 8 days in a cauldron, dried for 2 days in …

Contributor blog post by Aurelie: Aurelie Gilabert, the founder of Avignon Gourmet Tours, is an Avignon native who seamlessly navigates her way between three languages (French, English and Portuguese). She offers guided tours of the papal city with just the right blend of historical information and foodie tidbits – be prepared to sample …

Contributor blog post by Access Riviera: If I had a euro for every time someone asked me ‘Is Monaco cheap to visit?’ I’d probably be able to buy a penthouse apartment there myself. There’s no doubt about it that Monaco is a destination of legend – luxury everything from hotels …

Colour is the very essence of Turner’s art. This exhibition, Turner et la Couleur, brings over 100 works lent by UK museums and private collections to Aix. Turner (1775-1857) was from a working-class family in London’s Covent Garden, but his father encouraged his obvious This British painter and the show …

It is too bad that some visitors shy away from France’s second biggest port, scared off by Marseille’s somewhat edgy reputation. In the past, they might have been right, but now it would be a crying shame to miss the museums and the shopping in Marseille. When you go this …

So we’re currently lying on the couch holding our bellies after we have been testing their limits all weekend in France’s gastronomic capital. Lyon is a city full of surprises and delicious specialties. I wasn’t expecting the buildings to be so colourful. As it’s so close to the Alps, I …